A BILL seeking to upgrade the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City has been approved on its third and final reading before the House of Representatives.

Negros Occidental Third District Representative Jose Francisco "Kiko" Benitez, who authored House Bill No. 10463, said the improvements at the provincial government-run hospital will address the healthcare needs of the Negrenses.

Under the bill, the authorized bed capacity of the TLJPH shall be increased from 100 to 300 beds, and any future increase in bed capacity shall be consistent with the hospital development plan that will be prepared by the hospital chief and submitted to the Department of Health (DOH).

The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, meanwhile, shall provide the necessary funds to cover the maintenance and other operating expenses of the medical facility.

It will also appropriate the funds for the additional human resource complement to support the increase in bed capacity and the corresponding upgrading of the hospital facilities and professional health care services.

Currently, the construction of the TLJPH's Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases worth P100 million is ongoing.